RFK Can Unify Academic Dietitian and Physician Communities by Banning Trans Fats from Store Shelves

Dr. McCullough with Liz MacDonald on The Evening Edit, FOX Business. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, can help unify the dieticians and doctors by using the correct term "trans fats" instead of "seed oils." Artificial trans fats are created through a process called hydrogenation, where hydrogen is added to liquid vegetable oils, making them more solid and stable. This process increases shelf life and flavor stability, which is why they were widely used in the food industry for many years and still are in some products on store shelves today. Due to the health concerns associated with artificial trans fats, regulatory bodies like the FDA have taken steps to reduce or eliminate them from the food supply. In the US, for the majority of uses, partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), the primary source of artificial trans fats, were banned as an ingredient in foods as of June 18, 2018. The World Health Organization (WHO) has set a goal to eliminate industrially produced trans fats globally. Health organizations, like the American Heart Association and WHO, recommend limiting or avoiding artificial trans fats as part of a healthy diet. The WHO recommends limiting trans fat intake to less than 1% of total energy intake. Reading food labels and looking for "partially hydrogenated oils" in the ingredient list can help you identify foods that may contain trans fats. Courtesy The Evening Edit, FOX Business, November 20, 2024.